Machine for treating cigarettes



May 17, 1966 E. w. KUHL MACHINE FOR TREATING GIGARETTES Filed 001;. 12, 1960 CUTTER 8| EJECTOR INVENTOR.

EDGARW. KUHL {12706012, ATTORNE'IK.

United States Patent 3,251,367 MACHINE FOR TREATING CIGARETTE Edgar W. Kuhl, 1407 Russell Road, Alexandria, Va. Filed Oct. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 62,157 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-27) My invention relates to a machine for treating cigarette rods to produce a less dense longitudinally extending central zone through the rod to facilitate draw and further to treat cigarette rods to produce a more uniform shape.

More particularly, my invention is directed to a machine for receiving predetermined lengths of cigarette rods from a conventional continuous cigarette rod making machine, supporting the cigarette rod and causing said rod to rotate about its central longitudinal axis at a predetermined speed for a predetermined time to accomplish through centrifugal action the product-ion of a less dense longitudinally extending central zone and a more uniform shape. It will be understood that the speed of rotation and the length of time of rotation are interdependent factors which will vary somewhat in accordance with the type of tobacco being employed, as well as the type of paper being employed. It will also be understood that the predetermined length of rod may be equal to the cigarette length or may be longer.

My machine produces a cigarette which overcomes the presently recognized undesirable compacted central zone of cigarettes made by the conventional technique of compressing the tobacco from the outer surface. Conven tional cigarettes when burned form a conical ash, this shape resulting from the compacted central zone. In some instances, cigarettes are so severely compacted or compressed that they do not enable sufiicient draw and fail to burn properly.

With my invention, a cigarette is produced which includes a less dense longitudinally extending central zone facilitating draw even though the outer longitudinally extending annular zone of the cigarette may be densely packed. In effect, my invention converts by efiicient production machinery the conventional cigarette rod into that which was disclosed as desirable in the Hohn US. Patent of 1925 No. 1,559,322, wherein a method is disclosed for producing a hand-made cigarette from a flat strip of tobacco manipulated into round form. Similarly, an earlier patent attempted to accomplish the less dense central core by another hand-forming method involving tamping the annular outer zone, this being shown in the 1876 Bacot US. Patent No. 172,370.

It is known in the industry that conventional continuous rod cigarette making machines produce cigarettes which vary in weight from 24 to 30 to the ounce and that the desired constant mass of rod per unit length requires constant surveillance of the produced rod with continual adjustment of the machine controls.

Analyzing the produced rod has presented difiicult problems because of the weight variations as well as nonuniform shape presentation from the machine. My machine may be used for the added purpose of establishing a constant shape with a more constant tobacco distribution within the rod. This is of importance in utilizing detecting devices which utilize beta particles whch penetrate and travel through the rod to determine whether the rod passing the detecting device is constant and meets the manufacturing requirements. Since non-uniform air spaces provide problems in such detection equipment, a constancy of rod shape and density is highly desirable. My machine enables the production of a cigarette rod of constant shape; it can, for example, be inserted in the production line shortly after the gluing step, whereby any variation in diameter may be compensated for by an 3,251,367 Patented May 17, 1966 Ice expansion or contraction of the wrapping paper through its own resiliency and/ or through the flap seam.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein, for the purposes of illustration herein, the mechanisms for accomplishing the method of my invention are set forth in detail, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a machine for treating cigarettes;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of FIGURE 1 taken on line 2-2; and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view of a turret machine embodiment.

The method carried out by my machine comprises the step of rotating a rod at a predetermined speed to produce through centrifugal action a less dense longitudinal central zone in the rod. The rod is rotated at a high speed in a controlled manner, speeds over 1000 revolutions per minute and preferably 3000 to 4000 revolutions per minute, producing the desired result. While the time period of rotation is a factor, the speed of rotation controls the degree of tobacco particle reorientation.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a length of rod 15 being ejected from a conventional continuous rod cigarette making machine 16, the rod moving across ramp 17 into a slot 50 in endless belt 18. The intermittently moving belt 18 moves the rod into proximity with the roller means 19, 20, the belt and roller means providing a housing means 52 which receives the rod. Gas means 51 is operatively associated with this housing means. Apertures 53 through belt 18 at each slot 50 conduct high velocity gas from pressure gas means 51 into the housing means 52. The rod is thereby floated and biased into engagement with a predetermined portion of housing means 52, namely the roller means 19 and 20 which rotate the rod at a high speed. As the intermittent move ment of the belt 18 proceeds, the aperture 53 in the belt is moved out of registration with the aperture in the pressure gas means 51, thereby cutting oif gas flow and the rod 15 falls back into slot 50, out of contact with rollers 19 and 20.

It will be understood that in this application, the word rod is intended to mean a length equal to standard cigarette lengths or multiples thereof. Under certain circumstances, the centrifugal action may be such as to loosen the tobacco at the ends of the rod requiring trimming to produce the desired firm end.

It will be understood also that my machine is inserted in the line after the conventional units such as the rod folder tongue, the rod former, the cigarette rod paster, the rod sealer, and the cutoif device. It will be recognized that as the predetermined length of rod may be a multiple of standard size or slightly larger than a multiple thereof, the cutter will be adjusted to accommodate this desired length.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that my invention may take the form of a turret 30 carrying a tubular means 31 for receiving and housing a predetermined length of rod 32. Rotating means 33 are provided for rotating the tubular means 31 about its longitudinal axis and the tubular means 31 is preferably formed with a bore 34 of a predetermined shape. In all modifications, however, the bore 34 is preferably hard and polished and provides a close fit with the predetermined length of rod. The surface of the bore may be made of such hard materials as chronic steel, ceramic material, and the like.

The inner surface of the bore will control the ultimate shape of the rod.

The rod 32 once received and housed in its tubular means 31 is rotated out of alignment with the discharge line 35 of the cigarette making machine and during this movement is rotated at the predetermined speed to accomplish the desired production of the less dense central zone as well as shape formation. Upon being completely processed, the cigarette rod may be ejected by the high velocity air means 36 for final processing and packaging.

The turret 30 shown has a plurality of tubes 31, the turret 32 being periodically rotated to index an empty tube 31 into line with the discharge of the cigarette machine. Suitable drive means and control means for this action can be provided from the main power source of the cigarette making machine. In the embodiment shown gear 40 receives indexing movements periodically from the cigarette making machine to rotate the turret 30 through 90 degrees by means of hollow shaft 41. Belt 37 drives shaft 38 of rotating means 33 at a high speed to rotate the plurality of tubes 31 through belts 39.

Various modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and, for that reason, I Wish to limit myself only within the scope of the appended 20 claims.

I claim:

1. A device for treating a cigarette rod comprising housing means for receiving a cigarette rod, gas means operatively associated with said housing means for floating said rod in said housing means and for biasing said rod into engagement with a predetermined portion of said housing means, said housing means including rotating means at said predetermined portion for rotating said rod at high speed.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said rotating means includes a pair of rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 693,439 2/1902 Pisko 131-56 740,498 10/ 1903 White. 1,559,322 10/1925 Hohn 13184 2,002,886 5/1935 Edwards 131-56 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD P. DEELEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR TREATING A CIGARETTE ROD COMPRISING HOUSING MEANS FOR RECEIVING A CIGARETTE ROD, GAS MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOUSING MEANS FOR FLOATING SAID ROD IN SAID HOUSING MEANS AND FOR BIASING SAID ROD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A PREDETERMINED PORITON OF SAID HOUSING MEANS, SAID HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING ROTATING MEANS AT SAID PREDETERMINED PORTION FOR ROTATING SAID ROD AT HIGHT SPEED. 